A Tale Of Time
by Alyss Mainwaring
Summary: One of the few of mine that actually start off with a plot. A old friends of Will's has come back and things start headin south, suddenly and majorly. Moments of time following. Aly...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,...,.
1. Meeting Old Friends

_Words__are__very__interesting__things,_Will thought as he watched a woman slap another one. He didn't stop it as they were only small and if he tried to stop everything like that he would end up run off his feet.

He sighed and walked forward out of the cover of the tree.

'Do you have to?' he asked them. In return they both screamed and ran in opposite directions from each other.

It wasn't their fault really. Him just stepping out of the tree like that, it wasn't fair on them.

_Well__at__least__I__stopped__their__fight,_ Will thought and pushed the hood of his cloak back. He shook his head and froze slightly when he heard a sound coming from behind him.

'Aren't we told not to freeze when we hear something just in case we alert our enemies that we have noticed them?' the voice coming from the person making the noise asked him.

'Are we not meant to make a sound when creeping through trees just in case we alert out "enemies"?' Will asked back, smiling at the person.

It had been a long time since he had last seen Ethan last after all.


	2. Wives Old Nightmare

The single line of mourners never uttered a word as they said goodbye to someone who had been the biggest legend that they would ever have. The light around them was mournful and seemed to be holding something back as if it too could sense the misery coming from all those there.

A tall woman was holding her head into her hands, crying. The widow.

Two younger adults holding each other close with un-noticed tears. The closest thing to children.

A man standing up straight with shoulders slumped slightly. The commander and best friend.

Another man seeming to hold the rest of the place up, anger in his eyes. The King.

The king's daughter and her husband watching silently, feeling only slightly out of place. The closest thing to a niece and nephew.

And all others, coming to witness the event that none of them believed to be true. It had to happen one day after all. But he was still young.

'He was too young,' one of the children sobbed to the other. Tears poured down his face and no move was made to rid him of them.

'I know,' the woman comforted him the best she could.

The king made his way over to the two. He gave one nod of his head and the two nodded back in greeting.

Almost at once the king slumped. The important part was over and he was now able to let his grief show. He looked up to the crestfallen sky and walked off, herded to another area by his own daughter and son-in-law.

The two children walked over to the commander. He looked at them with blank eyes. It was him who had given the ill-fated mission out and he knew it. If only the dead could have argued with him, trying to not accept it. Then he could feel guiltier about killing his own best friend.

The long walk to coffin was only made longer by the fact that everyone was laden down with heavy hearts.

Maybe, just maybe, if Will thought about the day that Halt was buried, he would recognise the look in Ethan's eyes.

**It was cool but it was all pretend**

_It was all meant to be_

**Mood Spoiler!**

**Right, I am about to perform and I have nothing better to do then write really depressing fics…**

**Says something about my life, doesn't it. **

**You are going to get this a little while after I type it as the computer had decided to suddenly turn into a craptop :)**

**I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I JUST KILLED HALTIE OFF!**

**But I had too. I have no clue what I am going to do next with this story…**

**(hint: hit Ctrl+Alt+. when you have a word doc open)**

**Alyss Mainwaring**


	3. Time Old Tale

_Time Old Tale_

It was the third time that month that Will had been to a funeral of a Ranger. One he hadn't even gotten the chance to get to know.

Some of the other Rangers were starting to ask if it was worth it going back to their cabins until this was all resolved. There were only going to be more funerals after all, they said.

The real question was about who was going to be next.

As soon as the blessing was said over the body and people started getting up to pay their last respects, Will walked off to the side, into the trees. He didn't go too far, not far enough that if he was fighting someone he couldn't call for help, but just far enough to not be seen.

Alyss hadn't come to this one. She hadn't known the poor Ranger either and Will had seen no reason why she should have come. Also this way, he knew that she was at the castle looking after Lady Pauline. And staying well protected.

Will nodded to Crowley as he came beside him, not saying anything. This time Crowley hadn't even had to send them on a mission. They had been murdered in their own cabin in the trees.

The unofficial anthem of the Rangers started and Crowley and Will watched as the young man was laid into the ground to the tune. He had only been a year out of training and his fief hadn't even been trouble.

Someone was targeting the Rangers. And as much as Crowley and all the others didn't want to admit it, they were afraid.

_Would you believe me?_

**Yeah yeah**

* * *

><p><strong>Dam... That looked a lot longer in word... <strong>

**Reminds me why I don't write in there any more...**

**(There is now a Brotherband section!)**

**Aly **


	4. Worn Old Path

**_Worn Old Path_**

Will traced the path he was walking along with his eyes, he couldn't actually see anyone, but he knew that there was lots of people there, there always was.

But why was he the only one to walk in the light?

He looked down at Alyss standing next to him. She held onto his arm tightly, she could sense the people along the path as well. Suddenly though, the two jumped as a person appeared in front of them.

Ethan raised one eyebrow and Will looked away to the side. He knew the rules but he was willing to disobey them.

'Just let me go,' Will said and continued walking.

Ethan didn't move, he just watched them as they walked off.


	5. Chapter 5

"How are you doing?" Will asked Pauline over the dining table with a cup of coffee in his hands. He had walked in to pick up Alyss to find his wife doing the household chores for Pauline. Halt's wife seemed to have aged years since he had been brutally murdered only weeks before. She had quit her job and just sat at home doing some of the necessary things to stay alive.

"I'm coping because I have to," she replied and looked away again. When Will had entered she had automatically made him a cup of coffee even though that wasn't his intention when he first walked in. It seemed as though making cups of coffee was a habit because of Halt and now that it wasn't needed any more, Pauline would use any chance she got at making it.

Will nodded and took another sip. The cup was still too hot to drink but he didn't want to be impolite to someone he saw as a mother when she was grieving. Any time really, but especially not now.

"Have you been staying safe?" she asked. There was no warning to the question and there was a loud clatter as Alyss dropped a dish when she heard it.

"Are you alright?" he called, trying to think of an appropriate answer to the question.

"I'm fine," Alyss called back.

"I have been," Will replied with a nearly forced smile. The thought was just too reminding of how Halt had been killed.

"That's good." I couldn't bear to lose you as well."


End file.
